Leucadendron burchellii
Leucadendron burchellii, the Riviersonderend conebush, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus Leucadendron and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape where it occurs in the Riviersonderend Mountains from Jonaskop to McGregor.
| Leucadendron burchellii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Leucadendron |
| Species: | L. burchellii |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucadendron burchellii I.Williams | |
The shrub grows 1.6 m tall and flowers in August. The plant dies after a fire but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and fall to the ground after two months. The seed is then spread by ants that carry it to their nests. The plant is unisexual and there are separate plants with male and female flowers, which are pollinated by the action of small beetles. The plant grows on northern slopes in rocky or sandy sandstone soils at altitudes of 800 to 1000 m.
In Afrikaans it is known as the Riviersonderend-tolbos.
References
- Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2020. Leucadendron burchellii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T113166556A185541537. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113166556A185541537.en. Downloaded on 11 August 2021.